Edmonton Oilers Rumors: President and GM Ken Holland to part ways after contract expiry next year

NHL reporter Elliotte Friedman shared his thoughts on the possible moves that the Edmonton Oilers can make this offseason. Ken Holland, who serves as the Oilers' general manager and president of hockey operations, is entering the final year of his contract. It will be important offseason for the Oilers.

During a recent episode of the '32 Thoughts' podcast, Friedman suggested that Holland might shy away from pushing "all his chips in."

"It's the last year of Ken Holland's current contract, 5-year deal. I think this could be his final year too. I don't think he's going to push all his chips in because it's probably going to be his last year..."

Friedman also mentioned that despite his contractual situation, Holland recognizes the potential of the current roster. He believes Holland has faith in the team's capability to compete for the Stanley Cup.

Consequently, Friedman speculated that Holland might opt to "push them all in" by maintaining the current group of players. He sees the team's current composition as capable of achieving success in the playoffs.

Friedman added:

"...I think he pushes them all in cause I think he recognizes the team is good enough to win"

Ultimately, only time will tell how Holland navigates this pivotal year in his contract and what impact his decisions will have on the Edmonton Oilers. Their season came to an end with a 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 on Sunday. Management is pondering what went wrong.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid on second-round playoff exit

Following the Edmonton Oilers' second-round playoff exit, superstar Connor McDavid expressed his faith in the team moving forward.

He said:

"I really feel like you've got to go through some of this to win."

In the game that sealed their fate, McDavid and Warren Foegele both scored in the first period, giving the Oilers an early 2-1 lead. However, their hopes were dashed as Jonathan Marchessault of the Vegas Golden Knights netted a hat trick in the second period. A late empty-net goal by William Karlsson further cemented the Golden Knights' victory and ended the series.